| Summary: | The two largest software firms, Microsoft and Oracle, are coming to blows over databases, and which one will win will depend on the future of Internet computing. Microsoft's database, SQL 7 will support on-line transaction with about 500 current users—a number that will grow when Windows 2000 is marketed at the end of 1999. In addition, SQL 7 will be bundled with other Microsoft products, such as BackOffice, attracting price-conscious companies. Oracle is not without its own advantages, however. The Oracle 8 database outperforms its Microsoft counterpart for performance, and Oracle is betting on a type of Internet computing in which applications are centrally managed, backed up, and administered. Users will gain access to information and applications employing a browser that can run on a personal computer or an even simpler device. To strengthen its message, Oracle is releasing Oracle 8i, which is not just a database but a complete platform for Internet computing.
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